australian corps memorial

This was a quiet, peaceful memorial on a Saturday. It is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the memorial (300-500 meters), but along the way there are placards telling about Australia's involvement in that area.

Another significant memorial site, a bit out of the way and not referred to in many guides, however well worth searching out as Le Hamel is a pivotal village during the war, this is where the Aussies started their successful push against the Germans.

Please note that this Memorial is closed to the public at the moment - well, it was on 14 October 2014 anyway - so best to do some research if you are planning a visit in the near future. A couple of online notifications read "The Memorial is closed for maintenance until early October 2014" but we are now half-way through the month now.Additionally, there is no warning on the 'main' road in Le Hamel that it is closed - so we turned up onto the narrow lane (following the sign), only to be confronted by a barrier some way up the lane. My husband had to reverse all the way back because it was not possible to turn round.From the images I've seen and from what I have read, the Memorial is well worth a visit .... as long as it is open.

This is one of the newest memorials on The Somme battlefront. Le Hamel was the site of what could be considered the turning point of WW1, where combined arms were first successfully used against the Germans to such coordinated effect. General Monash's Australian troops proved themselves as an innovative and resourceful force and became a model for other commanders.This brand new memorial commemorates this decisive 1918 battle and is situated on the final objective overlooking the nearby village and much surrounding land. It contains several interpretive panels explaining details of the war and the battle and these can be viewed as you wander along the concrete path leading to the three pillared memorial. You may also be lucky enough to be able to pick a bright red poppy and place thus as your own token.Very well done and a must see for Aussies. Soak up the view as you ponder.

This new memorial is the best of all on the Western Front by way of being informative, and being on the actual site if the battle. It is not the most emotional. Being on top of the hill overlooking the village it has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. The information plaques are terrific and aid with the overall understanding of this battle. Having toilet facilities and seats make this a pleasant experience. The only drawback is there is no visitor book!

You arrive perched on top of a hill that overlooks the town. As you wind your way around the path that leads to the memorial there are pictures and information about the battle. It raised my awareness of the brilliance of Sir John Monash.

As you walk from the parking area, heading towards the Memorial, and begin to read the information plaques (there are 20 of them), the significance of the battle and the siting of the Memorial starts to unfold. you will understand that the Battle of Hamel of 4th July 1918 became a blueprint for future war tactics due to the well-planned co-ordination of infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft in the advance on enemy lines. The information available acknowledges the American, British and French involvement - the first Medal of Honor in WW1 was awarded to an American soldier following this battle.The Memorial itself dominates the small site and the large bronze "Rising Sun" badge of the Australian infantry dominated the Memorial. Nearby there are the remains of captured enemy trenches.This site, established on a hill was the final advance objective of the Battle of Hamel. The beautiful surrounding countryside belies the battle that took place here, which resulted in approximately 4,000 casualties.For us, this was an important place to visit. It provided us with a balance between the larger and more well-known Memorials and War Cemeteries that we had previously visited. In comparison, this Memorial is an unassuming site that can be visited in a reasonably short time. The is not a war cemetery here.However, I recommend that visitors should take their time reading the plaques on their way to the Memorial. Its historical significance far outweighs the size of the site.It is only 6 km north-east of Villers-Bretonneux or about 20 km east of Amiens. Accessed by car (which we did) or by tourist bus.Additionally, near the parking area are plaques that indicate that the legendary German air ace, "The Red Baron", was shot down nearby.